SPRING NOTES

By John Antonik

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May 04, 2011 08:21 PM

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While cleaning out some notes from this spring I came across some interesting comments made by new receivers/special teams coach Daron Roberts, who took Lonnie Galloway’s spot on the Mountaineer coaching staff just before the start of spring ball.

Roberts said he researched the situation here thoroughly before choosing to leave the NFL to come to West Virginia University.

“I kind of did my due diligence and called a lot of people around the league and to a man, I could tell you that people didn’t hesitate to say go there – for a couple of reasons,” said Roberts. “One, it’s the flagship university of the state. It means I have to understand the kind of responsibility with the players and the students and administration. It’s a lot of responsibility to be a part of the flagship university, and that was attractive to me.

“What I am really excited about is engaging with the fan base,” he added. “The Pitt game, of course, and LSU coming to town … it’s going to be an exciting atmosphere so that really factored a lot into my decision of moving from the NFL to here.”

Roberts was also told West Virginians are the kindest people around.

“Coming from Texas, I didn’t think it could be much better, but I can tell you that the reception has been incredible,” he said. “People follow football here and there’s no secrets when it comes to the Mountaineers.”

All of that was important, but what sealed it for Roberts is the fact that Morgantown, W.Va., is consistently rated among the top small cities in the U.S. to live in.

“This town has really weathered the recession well,” he noted. “Coming from Detroit, it definitely took some of its bumps and it’s coming back, but people told me I would be going to a place that was resilient, and the people were nice, and they love football, so it was nice to have the opportunity to come here.”